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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: tube · prune · bulb · land · charge · object

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. land — to come down
  3. object — an aim
  4. bulb — for light
  5. charge — in control
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. charge — electricity
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bulb — for light
  10. prune — to trim
  11. tube — a container
  12. object — to protest
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. object — a thing
  15. charge — a price
  16. land — a country
  17. land — ground
  18. prune — to trim

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com